EMC World 2010: Rationalizing SharePoint and Documentum, When Should I Use What?

Capgemini presented an interesting topic on SharePoint and Documentum, focusing on when to use each.  I was attending another session at the time, but Chris Campbell has once again shared his notes with us.

Topics

  • Basis of understanding
  • History
  • What products make up the integrated approach
  • Rationalizing the product portfolios
  • Enterprise records management question
  • What Capgemini has learned from customer engagements
  • Which product(s) do I use for what purpose?

Only one person attending session was using only SharePoint as a repository.

Basis of understanding

  • 5000+ MS practitioners across the globe
  • 300+ ECM implementations in past 5 years
  • 2009 EM CM&A Global SI Partner of the Year
  • MS Global Partner of the Year
  • Large application outsourcing operations
  • We actively research best of breed ECM solutions for our clients and ofcus on the SharePoint and EMC platforms globally.

History

SharePoint – User Interface Back

  • First version was a basic document library
  • Driven from the beginning to seamlessly integrate with office and the OS
  • Added collaborative functionality and basic document management functionality
  • Evolved to include web content management functionality
  • Evolved to include records management functionality
  • Partnerships for core repository services such as BPM, imaging, archiving and reports management

EMC – Repository Forward

  • First version released in early 90s without a user interface
  • Developed large installed base in regulated industries
  • Acquisitions targeted additional repository functionality and best of breed enterprise archival tools for reports, imaging, ERP data, and customized correspondence
  • Focus on continued development of archival back end
  • Power user process management interface
  • Integration with MS SharePoint for user interface and collaboration.

Slide on User Interface Functionality View

Capgemini POV:

  • SharePoint 2010 has commoditized web content management and added social media interaction
  • Records Administration is a much larger question than the interface
  • EMC continues to move towards the ”Power user” applications and interfaces
  • EMC is opportunistic about social media

Document Management Collaboration WCM Records Management Social Media Image Capture DAM Correspondence Admin Biz Process
SP 2007 Enterprise Ent Basic Basic
SP 2010 Enterprise Ent Ent Ent Ent
EMC Enterprise Ent Ent Ent Basic Ent Ent Ent Ent

Repository functionality view

Capgemini POV:

EMC covers the full ECM repository stack

MS focuses on certain ECM functionality takes a little ground with each release

MS will likely never offer full repository functionality; it’s not their focus

Hybrid solutions are required for full ECM repository functionality

SP lacks federated records mgmt.., enterprise archival, renditional mgmt., image mgmt. correspondence mgmt., process mgmt.

SP full with document mgmt. “quickflow workflow”, enterprise records mgmt., enterprise scale* with caveat

EDRSMS (Repository Services for MS SP)

Usability

  • 100% transparency to SP users, processes and ‘add-ons’

Compliance

  • Repository of record
  • Common Policy Management
  • Long-term retention
  • Expunge

CM Integration

  • SP content in EM processes
  • Repurpose/reuse SP content

Operational

  • Improve SQL Server manageability
  • HSM
  • De-duplication
  • Fragmentation control

MyDocumentum for SharePoint

  • Navigate Documentum “library”
  • Multi-library support
  • Add update and view content
  • Expose advanced ECM features via configuration

SourceOne Archiving for MS SharePoint

Ability to manage SP data sources

Comprehensive archiving of SharePoint content

  • Libraries (documents, pictures, forms, wiki)
  • Lists (discussion boards, calendar, tasks, contacts)

Policy management

  • Unified policy management
  • Integration with EMC SourceOne infrastructure

Where do the product portfolios fit?

Capgemini POV:

  • Utilize SourceOne for Archival of standalone SharePoint environments
  • Leverage EMC for process management, image capture, enterprise RM and/or customer correspondence management
  • SharePoint for collaboration, portal, web 2.0, user interface

Capgemini ECM Rationalization Playbook

SP 2010 Hybrid EMC
No EMC storage Mixed storage EMC storage environment
Smaller overall repository < 100 GB Larger overall repository > 100 GB Need for massive file volume scale 5 TB and up
Basic workflow requirements EMC Documentum deployed Complex records management
Web content management and document management needs only An enterprise file plan defining many records types Complex records and management requirements
All of my unstructured content is in a single repository ready for migration Multiple systems containing content defined as a record Complex document level security
No requirements to map unstructured content growth to a hierarchical storage plan Mixture of collaboration and process focused business apps Complex process focused business applications
Collaboration focused business Mixture of ad-hoc and compliance oriented content Many regulatory agencies to satisfy
Need for digital asset management, storage management archival management Large scale imaging requirements
Heavy hierarchical storage and archival management requirements

Capgemini Reference Integrated Architecture

  • Client (MS Office, Web Browser, Outlook, Windows Mobile, Explorer SP Designer)
  • Presentation – (.Net Framework…)
  • Platform – Applications – EMC Storage – Infrastructure & integration
  • OS System (windows, Linux, Unix server)
  • Collaboration connection needs to be connected to the overall enterprise architecture to support effective collaboration

Records Management Question

SP 2010 Records Center can be an enterprise solution for records/retention management, but there are serious challenges:

  • Lack of federated RM functionality requires all content to be migrated into SP so that it can be managed as a record
  • Unproven for management of large/complex fileplans
  • Multiple Records admin interfaces may need to be deployed if SP is to be the RM system of record

EMC Document offers full enterprise RM functionality

  • Includes federated RM to manage content as records in alternative repositories
  • Tools for record discovery are a key part of implementation
  • New functionality coming in v6.6 allowing content to be pushed to Documentum (by Repository Services product) upon SP metadata change.

Capgemini POV:

  • Leverage EMC as system of record for enterprise RM
  • Leverage SP for ‘pre-record’ repository
  • Build a RM strategy focused on managing records ‘in place’ without migration
  • Large scale ($$$$) migration effort required to facilitate SP as the system of record for RM
  • Do NOT pursue solutions with multiple records admin tools

ROI question on hybrid environments

Three main points to consider:

Software and Infrastructure costs

  • Although buying software both from MS and EMC is more expensive up front, long term savings in storage costs, database licensing and labor costs will catch up quickly
  • Operational data suggests 12 month break even inflection point on hybrid solution depending on growth curve of SP installation
  • If you own EMC storage, there are cost efficiencies associated with buying all your storage and complimentary applications from a single vendor

Enterprise Records Management

  • Using SP as the system of record of records management requires all content to be migrated into a SP site; this is generally cost prohibitive
  • Running a hybrid solution allows EMC to be the system of record for records management allowing for RM across repositories w/o migration

Application specific functionality

  • SP requires add-on products for imaging, digital asset management, process management, correspondence management, rendition management, and enterprise archival
  • Buying these products is cost prohibitive

Slides on consulting examples

Closing Take: When What Where?

For customers running SP and EMC already

  • Use EMC as the system of record for enterprise records management ot avoid massive file migrations
  • Leverage emc as single vendor approach for complimentary application specific functionality (and possible storage) imaging DAM correspondence management, process management rendition management and enterprise archiving.

EMC only

  • Heavy compliance or process focused applications
  • Large scale archival requirements
  • Regulated industries, Life sciences, financial services, health care)
  • ECM requirements driven by legal department

For MS shops running SharePoint only

  • Migrate or noting approach to RM needs to be considered carefully
  • Do not use SharePoint as an enterprise archive; it wasn’t designed to do that
  • Keep files out of SharePoint, utilize ECM SourceOne archiving for SharePoint

For more on this presentation, read Andrew Chapman’s blog post on the session.

Disclaimer

All information in this post was gathered from the presenters and presentation. It does not reflect my opinion unless clearly indicated (Italics in parenthesis). Any errors are most likely from my misunderstanding a statement or imperfectly recording the information. Updates to correct information are reflected in red, but will not be otherwise indicated.

All statements about the future of EMC products and strategy are subject to change at any time due to a large variety of factors.

6 thoughts on “EMC World 2010: Rationalizing SharePoint and Documentum, When Should I Use What?”

  1. Michelle Kirk says:

    Thanks very much for sharing that – even if it only served to support my current thinking, it is always useful to see the points logically presented and so well thought through.

    Like

  2. As someone who works day in day out with MOSS 2007, I can’t say I entirely agree with with CapGemini’s point of view in many places – I would say that MOSS out of the box is neither an enterprise level DM or collaboration platform, more of a divisional level product. However you can of course invest a lot of money on your MS “platform” to get it to do what you want.

    SharePoint 2010 offers many improvements, but we are probably at least a year away from reflecting on how much of an improvement.

    However the one area I do agree with is that the lack of integration with HSM can be SP’s achilles heel, and therefore a very good reason to put DTCM underneath SP !

    Based on my personal experience, I would rather stick eRoom Enterprise on top of Content Server, just because I work with SharePoint does not make me a ‘fan boy’ …. 🙂

    Like

  3. Chris Campbell says:

    This is my first day back in the office, so I’m playing catch up with my own notes.

    As a topic, I really liked the neutral view the presentation was given in. Capgemini, like most consultants working in the content management field, has to work with many vendor platforms. I came away with the impression that at they have the best interests of their client in mind. Rather than steering their client towards a particular platform because they have a financial incentive, it’s a “what’s the best tool for the job?” philosophy. I wasn’t getting a sales pitch on how great the product is and what it can do for me.

    On a small tangent; personally, I feel that EMC has been too “nice” towards SharePoint. I realize that it’s a fine line that EMC has to walk with Microsoft. EMC isn’t a slouch, but MS is the 800-lb gorilla in the room. As a customer, it’s been really, really hard to find any information on the shortcomings of SharePoint. I would expect that EMC would do most of the legwork for me finding out where SharePoint comes up short, being a market competitor and all. (They won’t say so, but we all know the reality.) Since they are currently “buddy-buddy”, EMC is hesitant to anger the gorilla lest it rip off an arm or two. So instead of cold hard facts (“SharePoint sucks because of this and that”), I only get from EMC vague comments (“We enhance SharePoint.” Why? Does SharePoint have a gap? “No, we’re not saying that. We just make a good product better.”)

    That’s why I loves me some feature matrices. Cold hard facts that can be elaborated upon. Simple compare and contrast. Strengths vs. Weaknesses. Clear examples where combining the two systems result in a highly efficient and complete system. This is the information that I need to take back to folks in my organization that are convinced that SharePoint is the answer to everything because it wears ruby slippers. Those ruby slippers may look all shiny and neat, but won’t take you back home to Kansas.

    It might be a bold and dangerous position to take but I’d like to see EMC be a bit more aggressive towards SharePoint. They don’t have to say it sucks or it’s evil incarnate. It isn’t. I would like some positioning statements to be made along the lines of: “SharePoint is a fantastic tool for departmental collaboration. However, companies that want to have Enterprise level management need to look at our solution for the following reasons…”

    Back to the topic – The Closing Take is a bit brief in that it summaries the previous slides. There is a lot more to the subject and I’d love to have another session go into more technical detail. Overall, Capgemini states what I’ve seen many other analysts have said in previous weeks — a hybrid-approach is best. That’s dead on.

    Like

  5. Pingback: If I Were At Momentum Europe… « Word of Pie
  6. Pingback: Capgemini’s SharePoint and Documentum Road Show « Word of Pie

Comments are closed.